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VM Veiculos Motorizados
VM Veiculos Motorizados SARL '''1960-1990 Porto Alto, near Samora Correia, Portugal '''Introduction VM Veiculos Motorizados SARL was a small portuguese developer and manufacturer of tractors, sitedumpers, trailers and later was associated and became a subsidiary with the larger BRAVIA SARL the only known original Portuguese truck specialist. This successful partnership ended in the 1990s. Company History VM SARL aka Veiculos Motorizados company was originally started in the late 1940s for making agricultural machinery and later expanded their small machinery the growing civilian construction needs in Portugal. Their machinery was heavily inspired by other existing similar looking models specially those made by Liner, Muir-Hill, Winget and others The firm chose Britsh made mechanicals sourced by wellknown Lister and Petter petrol engines and later couild also use diesel optional versions were offered for their sitedumpers their most significant model sold in huge numbers. As agriculture and construction industries were on their heyday in our country at the time a still very developing Portugal in the 1950s, VM production was booming as they were the only local manufacturer of its kind. Later the firm moved to bigger premises and a new factory was built at Porto Alto near Samora Correia near Santarem with a road connection and they were 30km away from Lisbon. Mostly production was all about sitedumpers and these could be easily mistaken from a VIMA models another Portuguese similar looking machinery specialist who started in a very similar way at Valadares, Vila Nova De Gaia near Porto. From the 1960s onwards VM developed heavily their original sitedumpers using the latest technology available in a similar way to farmtractors employed such as hydraulic brakes, British Lister or optional Petter Diesel with manual four speed mechanicals , optional FWD or RWD configurations and these were locally produced as the original VM 3TD, VM 4TD, VM 5TDL and VM 6TDL models. The numbers refered to their Cubicyard Load capacities that varied per model. All of these models were sold in large numbers for many roles and general work. In the 1970s VM decided to have a go at their own new roadtugs that were intended small distances used for haulage, distribution and moving loaded trailers mostly based on the rigidframes of their sitedumpers. Many were built but were sold in fewer numbers still using the good old reliable but noisy Lister Diesel engine. A reputed output of 357 of these new VW Roadtugs were produced these ended up sold for the Faro, Lisbon and Porto local airports to work as luggage tractors and as maintenance vehicles for Airports, Busy docks, Shipyards and Warehouse work. BRAVIA SARL another Portuguese local manufacturer that was an offroad truck and military vehicle the only one of its kind, acquired an financial stake at VM. Soon the two firms merged and the new brandname of BRAVIA-VM SARL was created. While BRAVIA was very busy making their original civilian and military offroad trucks with some notorious success while VM focused mainly on their own sitedumpers now called the VM Gisele, their industrial semi trailers and some commercial vehicle bodywork. In 1975 a gentleman called Donas-Botto purchased VM and attempted to separate this recent company merger so that he could have BRAVIA to solely produce military vehicles and that brought several problems for VM to survive on its own soon as the two firms were now divorced. BRAVIA was a much larger firm and had developed its own original separate model range and occasionally assembled many other models and larger vehicles for smaller VM. In the 1980s, VM still managed to survive, thanks to BRAVIA who became its owner as sales were again picking up and due to the increasing construction industry they both managed to handle quite well and they were reasonably confortable in the construction machinery market up to a point in our country. Then later on as the years came, the Portuguese machinery market saw the arrival of similar looking makes and models from England, Germany and Spain mostly using superior quality and available with high technology often with the latest new hydraulics, with 4X4 axles, powersteering and improved mechanicals. Sadly this proved too much for VM and after making several financial and market losses and the company closed in 1990. In the 1990s VM Veiculos Motorizados SARL a partner of BRAVIA SARL for several years had been revived by their former team of designers and technicians who renamed their own brand new company now trading as ASTEL based at the same town of Samora Correia who are now their latest ASTEL Samora JDV Series employing all their latest hydraulics and currently using modern features with or without 4WD and they carry all types of optional buckets, forks, loaders, shovels, hoppers and now have a customers choice of any optional Japanese Kubota and Yanmar Diesel running gear. leopardo placa vm.jpg|An Original VM Veiculos Motorizados company Nameplate A 1970s VM Giselle nameplate on dumper.jpg|A original VM Gisele VIN Machinery Nameplate on a sitedumper A 1970s VM Sitedumper TDL5 and TD4 models.jpg|A VM Original Model Range 1970s Catalogue depicting technical details A 1970s VM Sitedumper Model Range.jpg|A VM Original Model Range of the 1970s display at the FIL Motorshow in Lisbon A 1960s VM Lister Sitedumper.jpg|A 1960s VW Gisele Sitedumper with a Lister Diesel engine A 1960s VM Sitedumper Diesel.jpg|A 1960s VM Gisele Sitedumper with Petter Diesel engine A 1970s VM Of Portugal Sitedumper.JPG|A 1970s VM Gisele Sitedumper with Lister Diesel engine near Tavira Algarve A 1970s VM Sitedumper Diesel.JPG|A 1970s VM Gisele Sitedumper with Lister engined and FWD axle A 1970s VM Sitedumper Lister Diesel engined.JPG|A 1970s VM Gisele Sitedumper Diesel with RWS FWD axles 4204699765-dumper-vm.jpg|A 1980s VM Gisele Sitedumper Diesel for sale in Portugal A 1980s VM Diesel Sitedumper.JPG|A 1980s VM Gisele Industrial Sitedumper with Petter Diesel engine A 1980s VM Sitedumper Diesel.jpg|A 1990s VM Gisele Industrial Sitedumper with Lister Diesel engine A 1980s VM Sitedumper Lister Diesel.jpg|A 1990s VM Gisele Industrial Sitedumper with RWS and FWD A 1980s VM Sitedumper.jpg|A 1990s VM Gisele Sitedumper Diesel RWS FWD being repainted 899747409_1_644x461_dumper-benavente.jpg|A 1990s VM Gisele Diesel Sitedumper undergoing repainting